Succession wars

Succession wars, conflicts that result from disagreements about who should inherit a throne, or who should succeed a monarch. These disputes usually arise when a monarch has no child, or son, to whom to pass the throne. Europe has experienced 4 succession wars, all during the 18th century. They were the War of Spanish Succession (1701–14), the War of Polish Succession (1733–38), the War of Austrian Succession (1740–48), and the War of Bavarian Succession (1778–79).